Apparatus to convert oil to gas



D. F. BUCKLEY APPARATUS TO CONVERT OIL TO GAS Oct. 22, 1963 Filed April 18, 1960 ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,187,? l 9 Patented Oat. 22, 1963 3,107,719 APPARATUS T QONVERT 011. TO GAS Daniel F. Buckley, 17 Frederick St, Belmont, Mass. Filed Apr. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 23,040 4 Claims. (Cl. 158-53) This invention relates to apparatus to convert oil to gas and that also serves to heat a house or a building or other purpose.

The principal object of my invention is to bring oil, and oil-gas under pressure, that has been made from a relatively inexpensive oil, together, and pass the fine particles resulting into a retort for conversion into gas by heat.

Another object is to use the gas so formed as the fuel for my apparatus.

A further object is to provide a simple, economical and automatic operating system to accomplish the aforesaid purposes.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction dis closed by the drawing, nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

The drawing shows a schematic layout of one form of my invention.

As illustrated in the FIGURE, a schematic layout of one form of my invention is shown, utilizing as a heating device the common form of hot air furnace having the usual warm air outlets 12. Associated with the furnace 19 to provide the heat is a heating burner 14 having the usual pilot 16. The supply of fuel, which is principally a vapor gas hereafter referred to as oil-gas, flows through a main supply conduit 18 having a branch supply conduit 20 that enters a fuel supply container or tank 22 of oilgas which holds said oil-gas under pressure, as for instance, up to 70 lbs. A well known dual-action, solenoid regulating valve 24 in said branch conduit 20 opens and closes the latter as later explained.

The oil-gas in said supply tank 22 is normally under pressure and this oil-gas may flow through a discharge conduit 26 having a well-known, dual-action, solenoid, regulating valve 28. Said discharge conduit is continued by means of another conduit 29 communicating with a delivery conduit 38 which has a spray nozzle 31 that enters a super-heating retort 32 shown within said furnace 10 and adjacent said burner 14.

A fuel oil or material supply conduit 34 having a dualaction, solenoid control valve 36 communicates with said delivery conduit 30 and is connected to a source of fuel oil, not shown. Since oil, and oil-gas under pressure, enter said delivery conduit 30 together, they intermingle, and pass to nozzle 31 where this mixture becomes atomized to some extent. Thence this atomized mixture of oil and oil-gas enters said retort 32 in the form of a fine, atomized spray, where it is converted into oil-gas by the heat from said burner 14. A carrier conduit 38 connects with said retort 32, carrying away the oil-gas cracked therein to said supply tank 22 to replenish the supply and thus sustain the desired pressure.

In case the supply of oil-gas fails for any reason, I provide an auxiliary fuel supply by means of a gas conduit 40, having a control valve 41, and which connects to a source of commercial or city gas not shown. This gas conduit 40 communicates with said main supply conduit 18, hence it will furnish gas to said burner 14 in an emergency, as later explained.

Mounted on said supply tank 22 are pressure control devices 42 and 44. Said devices 42 and 44 are electrically connected by wires 43 and 45, as shown, to a thermostat 4 6 mounted at some convenient point, which latter is connected to an electrical supply source by wires 48 and 50.

When the thermostat 46 calls for heat its operation normally opens said dual-action valve 24, by means of an electrical wire 52 extending between the thermostat and valve 24, so that oil-gas flows through conduits 20 and 18 to said burner 14.

Said pressure control device 44 on said tank- 22 is electrically connected, by means of a wire 56 to said valve 28. If the pressure in said supply tank 22 has dropped to a predetermined point, say 60 lbs., at any time, said valve 28 is opened by pressure control device 44 to permit oilgas to flow through said conduit 29 to said delivery con duit 30 by actuation of said pressure control device 44 through electrical line 56. A separate electrical line 54 extends from a pressure control device 60 on said tank 22 to said fuel oil valve 36 and. when pressure drops to 59 pounds (as compared to said 60 lbs), for instance, said pressure control device 60 will close an electrical circuit to said valve 36 thereby opening the latter and permitting oil to flow from said oil supply conduit 34 into delivery conduit 30 to mix with oil-gas as previously explained. Said device 60 is electrically connected by a wire 61 to said thermostat.

When the pressure in said tank 22 rises to 69 pounds, for instance, said fuel oil valve 36 is closed in response to actuation of said control device 60 on tank 22 by means of said electrical line 54. Thus the fuel oil supply is cut off which prevents fuel oil alone passing to said retort.

When the pressure in tank 22 reaches 70 pounds, said device 44 is actuated to close. Thence through responsive electrical means 56, said regulating valve 28 is closed, so oil-gas ceases to flow from said tank 22 to this valve 28. From the foregoing it will be seen that the fuel oil supply is cut off just before the oil-gas through conduit 29 is cut off.

When the thermostat no longer calls for heat, said dualaction, valve 24 closes, hence the main flame at the burner 14 ceases. In this event an electrical line 62 from said valve 24 to said valve 28, and an electrical line 64 from said valve 24 to said fuel oil valve 36 function respectively to close said valves 28 and 36.

Said auxiliary supply of fuel is supplied in case said supply tank 22 fails to supply fuel to said burner. In the latter event when the pressure falls below a predetermined point, such as 12 pounds, for instance, and the thermostat 46 calls for heat, said pressure control device 42 is electrically actuated through said wire 43, then, by means of an electrical wire 58 extending from said pressure control device 42 to said commercial gas control valve 41, the latter is caused to open, thereby supplying commercial gas to said supply conduits 40 and 18 and burner 14. When the pressure in said supply tank rises to a predetermined point, as 13 pounds, for instance, said pressure control device 42 responds and gas valve 41 is automatically closed to thereby shut off the supply of commercial gas.

If the oil-gas pressure in tank 22, through a failure in the operating system, for instance, drops to a relatively low pressure, such as 10 pounds, for instance, and my apparatus is connected to a source of commercial gas, said dual-action valve 24 will automatically close since it serves as a pressure-control valve in this instance. Said burner 14 will be supplied with commercial gas through gas conduit 40 under these circumstances, as previously explained.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a retort, a heating burner adapted to heat said retort, a tank, a supply conduit communicating with said tank and burner to deliver oil gas to the V latter, a first dual-action, regulating valve in said supply conduit, a thermostat adapted to be located in a room to be heated, electricity conducting means operably eonnected to said thermostat and said first valve whereby said first valve is opened at a predetermined temperature and closed at another predetermined temperature, a carrier conduit in communication with said tank and retort to deliver oil-gas to said tank, a first pressure control device connected to said tank and operable when pressure in said tank falls to a predetermined point, a delivery conduit in communication with said retort to deliver oil and oil-gas to the latter, a discharge conduit for oil-gas in communication with said tank and delivery conduit, a second dualaction, regulating valve in said discharge conduit, electricity conducting means connected to said second dualaction regulating valve and said first pressure control device adapted to open and close said first dual-action regulating valve when pressure in saidtank falls and rises respectively to a predetermined point, a material supply conduit in communication with said delivery conduit, a third dual-action, control valve in said material supply conduit, a second pressure control device connected to said tank, said third dual-action control valve and said second pressure control device being operable when said pressure in said tank falls to a predetermined point, electricity conducting means connected to said third dualaction control valve and said second pressure control device and adapted to open and close said third dualaction control valve when pressure in said tank falls and rises respectively to predetermined points, electricity conducting means connected =to said first dual-action valve and to said second dual-action valve, and electricity conducting means connected to said first dual-action valve and to said third dual-action control valve, said two latter conducting means being adapted to close said second and third dual-action valves when said first dual-action valve closes.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 having an auxiliary supply conduit communicating with said first-mentioned supply conduit, to deliver gas to the latter, a valve in said auxiliary supply conduit, another pressure control device connected'to said tank and adapted to be actuated when pressure in said tank falls to a predetermined point, elec trici ty conducting means connected to said thermostat and said other pressure control device adapted to actuate said latter valve at a predetermined temperature when pressure in said tank falls to said latter mentioned point, electricity conducting means connected to said other pressure control device and said auxiliary supply conduit valve adapted to open said latter valve when said other pressure control device is actuated by means of said thermostat.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim I in which said delivery conduit embodies a spray nozzle extending into said retort.

4. In combination, a retort, a heating burner adapted to heat said retort, a tank to hold gas under pressure, a

supply conduit communicating with said tank and burner to deliver oil-gas to the latter, a valve in said supply conduit, a carrier conduit in communication with said retort and said tank to deliver oil-gas to the latter, a delivery conduitin communication with said retort to deliver oil and oil-gas to the latter, a discharge conduit for oil-gas in communication with said tank and delivery conduit, an oil supply conduit in communication with said delivery conduit, a pressure control device connected to said tank and operable when pressure in said tank falls to a predetermined point, a regulating valve in said discharge conduit, and electricity conducting means connected to said pressure control device and said regulating valve whereby said regulating valve is opened and closed when the pressure in said tank falls and rises respectively to a predetermined point.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 508,312 Heister Nov. 7, 1893 968,233 Best Aug. 23, 1910 2,379,979 Michaud July 10, 1945 2,586,416 Buckley Feb. 19, 1952 2,812,017' Vant Nov. 5, 1957 

4. IN COMBINATION, A RETORT, A HEATING BURNER ADAPTED TO HEAT SAID RETORT, A TANK TO HOLD GAS UNDER PRESSURE, A SUPPLY CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID TANK AND BURNER TO DELIVER OIL-GAS TO THE LATTER, A VALVE IN SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT, A CARRIER CONDUIT IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID REPORT AND SAID TANK TO DELIVER OIL-GAS TO THE LATTER, A DELIVERY CONDUIT IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID RETORT TO DELIVERY OIL AND OIL-GAS TO THE LATTER, A DISCHARGE CONDUIT FOR OIL-GAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID TANK AND DELIVERY CONDUIT, AN OIL SUPPLY CONDUIT IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID DELIVERY CONDUIT, A PRESSURE CONTROL DEVICE CONNECTED TO SAID TANK AND OPERABLE WHEN PRESSURE IN SAID TANK FALLS TO A PREDETERMINED POINT, A REGULATING VALVE IN SAID DISCHARGE CONDUIT, AND ELECTRICITY CONDUCTING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PRESSURE CONTROL DEVICE AND SAID REGULATING VALVE WHEREBY SAID REGULATING VALVE IS OPENED AND CLOSED WHEN THE PRESSURE IN SAID TANK FALLS AND RISES RESPECTIVELY TO A PREDETERMINED POINT. 